The Curtiss Model 41 Lark was a commercial

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

manufactured by

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (1909–1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer originally founded by Glenn Curtiss, Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York. After significant commercial success in ...

that was used by pioneering airmail, airline and bush pilots in the 1920s.

Development

The biplane was based on the Curtiss Carrier Pigeon, a purpose-built aircraft for airmail operations. The Lark also had a longer-span lower wing, similar to the Carrier Pigeon. Some models were converted to floatplane configuration with a central mounted pontoon and wing-mounted floats. The biplane was made of welded tube with fabric covering. It was available with three engine choices, the Curtiss C-6, the

Wright J-4 Whirlwind The Wright R-790 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical Corporation, with a total displacement of about and around . These engines were the earliest members of the Wright Whirlw ...

, and the Wright-Hisso E. All four wing panels were interchangeable, giving the aircraft its unusual longer lower wings. A 200 hp Wright J-4 variant was tested for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. This installation proved superior in performance to the Curtiss engined model. This version eventually became the basis for the

Curtiss Fledgling The Curtiss Fledgling, known internally to Curtiss as the Model 48 and Model 51 is a trainer aircraft developed for the United States Navy in the late 1920s and known in that service as the N2C. Design and development The Fledgling was designed ...

series of aircraft.

Operational history

Patrica Airways operated a Lark for early bushplane operations. The aircraft flew with floats in warm weather, and skis in the winter. The aircraft was pressed into service as an early

hearse A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberately ...

once, with the cargo needing to be seated upside down in the open seat and secured with haywire. Florida Airways operated a Curtiss Lark ''Miss Tallahassee'' on its CAM-10 U.S. airmail route between Miami and Atlanta. The aircraft was bought to take the place of two lost Stout 2-AT Pullman aircraft that could not operate out of the poorly prepared airstrips.

Colonial Air Transport Colonial Air Transport was an early airline that flew between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts. History It was established as Bee Line on 16 March 1923 and operated out Naugatuck, Connecticut; in 1926, the airline was re-organised in New ...

owned a Curtiss Lark which was one of the first aircraft to be registered using the new

Underwriters Laboratories The UL enterprise is a global private safety company headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, composed of three organizations, UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions. Established in 1894, the UL enterprise was founded a ...

all-letter system (1921 to 1923). This Lark, registered as ''N-AABC'', was used on the CAM-1 U.S. airmail route.

Specifications (Curtiss C-6 engine)

Notes

References

External links

Canadian Aviation and Science Museum photos of the Curtiss Lark {{Curtiss aircraft Curtiss aircraft, Lark Single-engined tractor aircraft 1920s United States mailplanes 1920s United States civil utility aircraft Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1925 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear